1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a apparatus for cleaning and drying anesthesia and respiratory equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need for thorough cleaning, disinfecting and drying of anesthesia and respiratory therapy (hereinafter "ART") equipment in hospitals is well recognized. The materials of construction and the structure of such equipment have posed serious obstacles, however, to achieving that objective. Flexible, corrugated tubing, which is widely used in forming breathing tubes, breathing bags and other accessory ART items generally are formed of synthetic materials that are subject to deterioration and even destruction when exposed to classical sterilization and disinfection procedures used, for example, with hospital hard goods. Accordingly, care must be exercised in the selection of temperatures and cleaning agents that may be used with ART items.
A further, and perhaps more formidable problem associated with the proper cleaning and disinfection of ART equipment is, however, their peculiar structures. The undulating surfaces of corrugated tubing pose a challenge to cleaning, particularly in the interior (lumen) of such tubing; and breathing bags and other cul-de-sac configurations present similar difficulties by reason of their structure.
The classic approach to cleaning such ART items has been to subject them to axial flow of cleaning/disinfecting agent and drying air; i.e. introducing the fluid into one end of the hollow article, permitting axial flow along its length, and permitting egress of the fluid at the distal end. The efficacy of this technique with tubular items will be discussed shortly;the complete inapplicability of the technique to cul-de-sac items having only a single opening is apparent.
It is well known that the characteristics of fluid flow within a tube involve a transverse profile having maximum flow rates in the center of the tube and diminishing flow rates radially outwardly, approaching zero at the tube wall. To be effective, cleaning and drying must occur at the tube wall; thus, axial flow offers limited efficiencies in the cleaning and drying of ART equipment. Representative of the use of axial flow techniques is British Pat. No. 1,168,035.